Device for balling yarn for knitting or crocheting purposes



April 1939- H. H. BROWN 2 156,050

DEVICE FOR BALLING YARN FOR KNITTING OR CROGHETING PURPOSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1936 /J I filling-IMMUNE willlll-lillllllfi April 25, 1939- Q H. H. BROWN 2,156,050 Q DEVICE FOR BALLING YARN FOR KNITTING OR OROCHETING PURPOSES Filed Aug. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flats 55426 i; a: 7 Q I L %z4. Z

N :5 g z I I I I Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR BALLING YARN FOR KNITTING OR CROCHETING PURPOSES 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for balling yarns from yarn skeins for knitting or crocheting purposes.

Yarn for knitting or crocheting purposes has usually come to the housewife or other home knitter in skein form. As is well-known, it has been necessary either to string these skeins on the back of a chair or to have some other usually youthful person restlessly hold them while the knitter winds the yarn in the form of a ball. Very often persons in the habit of knitting are apt to be elderly people with no one to help them wind the yarn into ball form from the skein or hank and the ball windings of the type hitherto referred to have often resulted in the formation of very uneven balls which tend to get gnarled up in use, thus causing great delay and discomfort to the knitter or crocheter.

A further object of my invention, I believe, is to provide for the first time in combination with such a rotary skein holding wheel and rotary yarn baller means to adjustably brake the rotation of the wheel to prevent the wheel from unwinding the yarn too fast for the even takeup thereof on the rotating yarn ball holder.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel type of rotary yarn ball holder comprising a hollow shaft provided with suitable means for detachably mounting it on the handle rotated spindle and provided with spaced end walls rigidly mounted on said hollow shaft to receive even coils of said yarn between them and to protect the side walls of the wound ball package, each also preferably being provided with at least six aligned pointed portions projecting outwardly therefrom to project beyond the yarn ball wound thereon between said ends and to form legs for supporting said wound yarn ball on any support such as a table or floor when removed from the spindle in a vertical position spaced from such table, floor or other support.

Other objects of my invention relate to the specific construction of wheel and yarn guides including the specific means shown for the adjustment of said wheel and yarn guides, the specific construction of means shown for rotating the rotary yarn ball holder, pin means mounted on the inner end of the stand for rotatably receiving the hollow spindle of the rotary yarn ball holder so that the knitter or crocheter may readily withdraw the yarn therefrom in use as said holder rotates, and other details of construction of my improved device as shown in the accompanying drawings.

These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from a description of an embodiment thereof such as is shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a device for balling yarn for knitting or crocheting constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through portions of the wheel and its supporting bracket taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken through my improved type of yarn ball holder alongthe line 1'| of Fig. 6 showing the yarn wound. thereon.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of I,

reference generally indicate like parts throughout, It] generally indicates a device forballing yarn for knitting or crocheting purposes constructed in accordance with my invention. Said device 10 includes a preferably flat narrow stand [2. While any .number of legs may be provided for said stand, I preferably provide the two legs hi and 14 projecting obliquely laterally and for purposes of symmetry to substantially imitate the legs of an old-fashioned spinning wheel, which my improved device is constructed to simulate, at substantially outwardly and downwardly from the outer end I6 of said stand [2, and one leg 18 projecting at substantially .70" straight outwardly and downward substantially at the inner end 20 of said stand to lie in use adjacent to the baller. It is apparent that with this threelegged structure the leg l8 can be either inserted between the legs of the operating baller or brought closely adjacent to her lap.

To rotatably mount the yarn skeinholding wheel 22 on my improved stand I2, I preferably employ the bracket arm 24 projecting, also preferably, for purposes of symmetry, at substantially 70 straight outwardly and uwardly from the outer M end E6 of the stand I2 and in my preferred embodi ment provided with a crook .26 therein near the lower end thereof to permit the rotation of the yarn guides 28 of said wheel 22 past said bracket arm 24.. The wheel22 is provided with a central hole 3i! for receiving a preferably threaded axle 32 projecting laterally from the upper end 34 of said bracket arm 24.

While any means may be provided to mount the rotatable yarn skein supporting wheel 22 on the upper end of the bracket arm 34, 1 preferably employ in connection therewith suitable means for braking or putting tension on the rotary movement of the yarn skein supporting wheel 22. With the mounting. means comprising the pintle 32 and central hole 38 heretofore described, I preferably employ the braking means about to be described to function in association therewith. I provide the brake plate 36 rigidly mounted on the flat side of the upper end 34 of the bracket arm 24 around said pintle 32, and I provide the brake plate 38 on the contacting side of the hub of the wheel 22 around said hole 32 to engage said bracket arm brake plate 36. I also rigidly mount a preferably triangular supporting plate 39 and a supplemental brake plate 40 on the opposite side of said Wheel hub around said hole 38 and I detachably mount a supplemental brake washer 42 on said pintle to abut said brake plate 40 and I provide a winged lock nut 44 internally threaded to engage the threads on said pintle providing with said brake plates 36, 38 and 49 and brake washer 42 on the adjustable rotation of said lock nut 44, means to adjustably brake the rotative movement of said wheel 22.

Said wheel 22 may also be provided with suitable means for radially adjustably securing skein guides 28 on the periphery thereof. While any suitable means may be provided to adjustably mount said skein guides 28 on said periphery, I preferably construct said means in a manner about to be described. For purposes of symmetry, said wheel 22 also has pointed spoke means 46 projecting radially outwardly to the folly 48 thereof. Said spokes 46 are provided with the radial slots 50 therein near the outer ends thereof and said felly 48 is provided with the radial channels 52 therein aligned with said radial spoke slots 50. A skein guide 28 is provided for each channel 52, each provided with the preferably forked skein receiving outer ends 54 and the arms 55 projecting downwardly from each side thereof adapted to straddle said radial slots 59 with the groove 58 between said arms 56 fitting into said radial channel 52. I also provide the bolt 60 projecting axially through said arms 56 provided with a wing nut means 62 on the opposite end thereof for connecting said arms together and extending through said radial slots 58 to radially individually adjustably clamp said guides 28 to said wheel 22. r

I also provide a bracket arm 64, also for pur-- poses of symmetry projecting at substantially 70 straight outwardly and upwardly from the inner end 20 of said stand I2 having a rotary spindle 66 extending through the upper end of said arm, having an extension 68 projecting laterally a disstance therefrom, said spindle 66 and extension 68 being parallel to the axis 32 of said wheel 22. For a purpose to be described, said extension 68 is provided w th a pin 10 projecting radially therefrom adjacent the bracket 64. The upper end '12 of said bracket 64 is provided with a housing 14 adjacent said spindle 66 and said spindle 66 is provided with a small gear 16 mounted thereon within said housing 14. A handle 18 is provided for rotating the spindle 66, but in order to step up the rotation of the spindle 66 relative to the rotation of the handle 18, I preferably also mount the handle shaft through said end 12 and mount the large gear 82 thereon within said housing 14 in mesh with said small gear 16 to impart a stepped-up rotary movement to the spindle 66 on rotation of the handle 18, and the handle 18 is preferably mounted at the end of an extension 84 projecting radially outwardly from the handle shaft 80 to impart a greater leverage thereto, in the specific embodiment shown, the handle 18 being mounted on the opposite side of said bracket arm 64 from said spindle extension 68.

I also provide a rotary yarn ball holder 86. In my preferred embodiment, said rotary yarn ball holder 86 comprises a hollow shaft 88 adapted to be mounted over said spindle extension 68 and having a bayonet slot 90 therein for receiving said spindle pin l0 therein to detachably secure said holder 86 on said spindle extension 68 to rotate therewith. If desired, however, any other suitable type of means than the bayonet slot pin construction shown may be employed for detachably mounting the yarn holder 86 on said spindle extension 68. The yarn holder 86 is also provided with the spaced end walls 92 rigidly mounted at a spaced distance from each other on the hollow shaft 88 beyond said slot 90'. Each end wall 92 is preferably provided with at least six aligned pointed portions 94 projecting outwardly therefrom to project beyond the outer surface of the yarn ball 96 wound around said shaft 88 between said ends 92 and forming legs 94 for supporting said wound yarn ball in a vertical position on a table, floor or other support, spaced from said support 98.

If desired, my improved stand 10 may also be provided on the end 28 thereof adjacent the baller with pin means E98 projecting vertically upwardly therefrom for rotatable mounting thereon of said hollow yarn ball holder shaft 88.

It is thus apparent that I have provided a construction which a single delicate user may readily operate. If desired, she may readily adjust the position of the yarn holders 26 on the wheel 22, readily insert the yarn skein on the forked ends 54 thereof, draw the leg l8 adjacent to her lap, thread the end of the yarn skein around the yarn holder shaft 88. and with little exertion, readily rotate the handle 78 to form the yarn ball 9-6 on the yarn holder 86. When the yarn ball 96 has been wound, the yarn holder 86 may be readily detached from the spindle extension 68 and either placed on the pin means I 9% immediately adjacent to the user's lap for knitting or crocheting purposes, or dropped on the surface of an adjacent table or the floor when the side walls 92 will prevent the periphery of the yarn ball 96 from getting dirty. If the holder lies on said support in a vertical position, the ends 94 permit the periphery of said yarn ball 96 to be spaced from the surface 98 of said support. If a plurality of holders 86 be provided, it is obvious that the baller may readily at a single operation ball up enough yarn balls for a continuous supply, and that when the yarn becomes exhausted from each holder, it may be readily again mounted through the bayonet slot pin connection on the spindle extension 68 for rewinding purposes.

It is apparent, therefore, that I have provided 1. A wheel for use in reels and having radial slots therein near the outer edge thereof and radial channels at the outer edge thereof aligned with said slots, skein guides having skein receiving outer ends and having arms projecting radial- 1y inwardly therefrom adapted to straddle said radial slots, said arms thus forming grooves between them, with the portions of said guides in radial alignment with said grooves formed between said arms radially adjustably fitting within said radial channels, and adjustable clamping means connecting said arms together and extending through said radial slots to radially adjustably clamp said guides to said wheel.

2. A wheel for use in reels and having a rim and spokes, said spokes having radial slots therein near the outer ends thereof and said rim having radial channels therein aligned with said slots,

skein guides having skein receiving outer ends and having arms projecting radially inwardly therefrom adapted to straddle said radial slots, said arms thus forming grooves between them, with the portions of said guides in radial alignment with said grooves formed between said arms radially adjustably fitting within said radial channels, and adjustable clamping means connecting said arms together and extending through said radial slots to radially adjustably clamp said 10 guides to said wheel.

HOWARD H. BROWN. 

